Early Tang Dynasty: forge ahead

Chapter 485 Worship
Chen Qingsi couldn't figure it out for a moment. He thought that the rat behind him was holding back a big move and preparing for a big attack, so he was careful and cautious to avoid being caught off guard.

But now he had defecated a large amount, which made him unable to control himself.

After pondering for a moment, Chen Qingsi suddenly thought of something and asked, "What is Cui Zhu's status in the Duke of Jiang's Mansion?"

Yin Ming said, "At first, it was fine. The couple loved each other very much and were envied by many people. But after Jing took over the family, the couple began to have more estrangements. Jing was busy with the land and fiefdom taxes of the Duke of Jiang's mansion and had no time to care about Cui Zhu. As a son-in-law, Cui Zhu was not comfortable in the mansion. He spent his days drinking and playing with his friends, and lingering in the brothels and wine shops in Pingkangfang."

"Later, there was the incident of Jing spending 500,000 yuan to buy an official position. After he became an official, Cui Zhu became more obedient. However, because of the incident with Li Yifu, Cui Zhu also suffered. He was supposed to be severely punished, but Jing arranged for it and asked Duke Lu to intervene, so he was only given a light punishment and a severe warning, and demoted to the seventh rank."

"From then on, Cui Zhu could no longer hold his head up in front of Jing Shi. Cui Zhu cried bitterly after getting drunk, saying that he shouldn't have condescended to marry into the Jing family, and that he was living a life neither human nor ghost."

When Yin Ming said this, there was a hint of mockery in his tone.

Even the taciturn Zhou Kui looked ashamed.

Chen Qingsi shook his head and said, "Scholars are the most unfaithful. This is absolutely true."

In this situation, you still have the nerve to condescend to marry into my family?

He really has no shame at all.

but……

Cui Zhao's current situation gave him a new idea.

Chen Qingsi is experienced and has seen many storms. He knows that some major problems are caused by some small things or some small people.

The people at the top are very careful and cautious because they know how powerful they are. On the contrary, the people below, for the sake of their own petty gains, cause a lot of trouble, thus implicating those at the top.

Would Cui Zhao be the same?

The real mouse had no intention of taking any action. Was it because Cui Zhe was not doing well in his life and was eager to make achievements and show himself?

Cui Zhe's big deal may not be the idea of ​​the rat behind the scenes...

Of course, it is also possible that I was overthinking it. Cui Zhe was purely looking at himself and Zhang Wenguan from the perspective of the Five Surnames.

Since there are no clues anyway, we might as well start with him.

Chen Qingsi said, "General Buliang, do you have any trustworthy brothers who can get close to Cui Zhao?"

Yin Ming thought for a moment and said, "Cui Zha believed in Taoism and enjoyed the company of Taoists. There was a Taoist priest in Yongningfang named Jingxia Taoist, who was eloquent and proficient in Taoism and Confucianism. In order to enter the society, he sold medicine on Zhuque Street. He had an argument with someone and hit him too hard, accidentally killing the person. The truth was that the medicine he sold was quite effective, which blocked the way of local drug dealers, so he deliberately picked trouble with people. Jingxia Taoist was quite loyal and had a certain reputation. With his status, it was just right for him to interact with Cui Zha."

Chen Qingsi said: "Arrange for him to make friends with Cui Zhe. There is no need to conduct any special investigations, so as not to alert the enemy."

Why is the other party hiding so deeply?
Since they are not strong enough, they dare not attack in person and can only stab in the dark.

Since Cui Zhe is just a small pawn, he probably can't get in touch with deep things. There is no point in taking action against him now. It is better to play the long game and catch the big fish.

Yin Ming did not ask any more questions. He had already received too many benefits from Chen Qingsi, so it was natural for him to work for him. "Don't worry, Mr. Chen. I know that Taoist Jingxia is not a reckless person and can help you succeed."

"Qing'an, send the bad guy off for me!"

Zhou Kui, who had been acting as Qing'an, left Chen's house with Yin Ming.

The two had a close relationship after working together many times, and happened to go drinking together.

Chen Qingsi watched the two of them leave the reception room, poured himself a full cup of tea, sipped it and savored the taste, while his mind was thinking about the situation in the court.

Chen Qingsi didn't take Zhang Wenguan seriously.

The Tang Dynasty revolved around Emperor Li Zhi from beginning to end, and Zhang Wenguan's political ideas were contrary to the thoughts of Emperor Li Zhi.

Such a person will not last long in Li Zhi's hands.

Li Zhi used him to govern officials, and once the goal was achieved, there was no need for anyone to take action.

Li Zhi would clear it out of the temple and leave it to his future son.

So if you expect Chen Qingsi to fight Zhang Wenguan to the death, that will never happen.

How foolish it is to fight with someone who is destined to die.

However, friction is inevitable. The strongest opponent of the Tang Dynasty is gathering strength and shifting its strategic focus eastward. It is not a wise move to allow Zhang Wenguan to suppress the Tang Dynasty's momentum.

What worries Chen Qingsi is Empress Wu.

Chen Qingsi didn't think so at first. He just thought that Empress Wu had suffered continuous setbacks and was acting low-key.

Now it seems that this may not be the case.

Empress Wu chose the most correct way to survive: cling to Li Zhi.

Empress Wu's previous political tactics had gone astray. She was always thinking about controlling her own power, developing the Wu family, and increasing her chances of winning for herself and the prince.

But she overlooked one thing: everything she had was given to her by Li Zhi.

Since Li Zhi could give it to her, he could also take it back.

Therefore, Empress Wu suffered a lot at the hands of Li Zhi in history. She did not realize that she had a shortcut, but chose the most difficult path, which led to Li Zhi's suppression and the break with the Wu family. She became a lonely person, without a single useful member of the Wu family around her. She had to use Wu Yuanqing, Wu Yuanshuang's son Wu Sansi and Wu Chengsi, who had a blood feud with her...

If there was any other choice, Empress Wu would not have reused the descendants of her brother who abused her and her son and drove them out of the house.

Now Empress Wu seemed to have come to her senses. She did not try every means to expand the power of the Wu family as had been done in history. Instead, she assisted Li Zhi wholeheartedly and became the woman behind Li Zhi.

There is no way to deal with such a Empress Wu. To deal with her, one has to draw the sword against Li Zhi.

Chen Qingsi does not have the power to control Huo Guang...

Facing such a Empress Wu, Chen Qingsi was helpless...

This is also the reason why he tried every means to find out the mysterious rat. Chen Qingsi had a feeling, which was the political sense cultivated by many years of political career. The day when the rat in the dark appeared would be the day when Queen Wu would be in trouble.

April 21st, the third year of Qianfeng.

On this day, Chen Qingsi did not go to the palace, nor did he go to the Ministry of War. Early in the morning, with the help of Xiao Miaochen, he put on simple clothes and planned to go to the mansion of Duke Xing to pay tribute to this famous veteran.

Su Dingfang's body has been transported back to Chang'an...

Because Zhang Wenguan had kept Su Dingfang's funeral in vain, Chen Qingsi scolded Zhang Wenguan, which pushed Su Dingfang, the top general of the Tang Dynasty, to the forefront of public opinion, and made more people know about this incident and this person.

On this day, white soul-guiding banners were flying in most of Chang'an to mourn the heroic spirits, hoping that the souls of the martyrs could return home soon.

For Su Dingfang's funeral, Li Zhi ordered a three-day suspension of court as a sign of mourning.

"His Majesty invites you, Mr. Chen, to come to the palace immediately to see him!" Before Chen Qingsi had time to leave for Duke Xing's mansion, he received the news that Li Zhi had summoned him.

Chen Qingsi had no choice but to change into official uniform, put on plain clothes, and enter the palace to meet the emperor first.

The eunuch led Chen Qingsi directly to Li Zhi's bedroom, which surprised Chen Qingsi, but after a moment of thought, he guessed the reason.

Li Zhi was planning to establish a persona for himself, and he probably intended to personally offer sacrifices to Su Dingfang.

Li Zhi was not a good emperor to the people, but he was a great ruler to the country.

Although Li Zhi was in poor health and left most of his work to Empress Wu, he was always in control of the overall situation and never missed any of the court sessions or government affairs.

If Li Zhi summoned him to the palace at this time for official business, he should have handled government affairs in Chengqian Hall or Wude Hall, not in this bedroom.

Since it's in the bedroom, it means it's not serious business.

But Chen Qingsi still walked into the hall with a puzzled look on his face, and saw Li Zhi wearing simple casual clothes, sitting upstairs with his eyes closed to rest.

"I have met His Majesty!"

Li Zhi opened his eyes, took in Chen Qingsi's expression, and said with a smile, "You are here! No need to be polite! You will accompany me out of the palace and go to the residence of Duke Xing."

Chen Qingsi exclaimed in his heart: "Sure enough."

The death of Su Dingfang was a huge loss for Li Zhi. It was no exaggeration for him to say in the court that he had cut off one of his arms.

But if he really asked her how sad she was, Chen Qingsi wouldn't believe it.

When a person dies, his value disappears.

Now that it has come to this, it would be a good story if he led me to personally offer sacrifices to Su Dingfang.

At least in the military, Li Zhi's image was immediately established, and he, who had facilitated all this, became a supporting role.

Just be a supporting role!
Chen Qingsi was very open-minded. He wanted to ask for an explanation for Su Dingfang out of his own will, and he didn't intend to care about the gains and losses.

When Li Zhi left the palace, he would not go on a secret visit like in the TV shows, where two or three people went out of the palace and caused chaos.

Even when it was to mourn Su Dingfang, the Qianniu Guards led the way, the Jinwu Guards guarded on both sides, and Chen Qingsi rode a horse and sat at the side of the imperial carriage.

With such a large-scale mobilization, it would not take more than a day for the whole Chang'an to know that Emperor Li Zhi was personally mourning Su Dingfang, the general who had made great contributions to the Tang Dynasty.

Li Zhi's acting skills are definitely at the level of an award-winning actor. By the time he arrived at the gate of the Duke's Mansion, his eyes were already slightly red, with tears welling up in them. He tilted his head slightly, trying hard not to let the tears roll down.

"When I first ascended the throne, I was a lowly person with little influence, and the people in all quarters were dissatisfied. It was all thanks to you, my beloved, that I conquered all quarters, captured Duman, drove out Helu, and pacified Baekje. My dynasty is now prosperous, and you have made great contributions. I wanted to share the glory with you, but you left me, how sad..."

After Li Zhi said this, the tears in his eyes burst out.

To be fair, his literary talent is not that great, but his words are sincere and his performance is not exaggerated or artificial, which makes people moved.

Su Dingfang's son, Su Qingjie, was so moved that he wept and bowed, saying, "My father always said that if I could meet a wise ruler in this life, I would die with no regrets. Your Majesty, please take care of the emperor's health and don't be too sad."

Li Zhi sighed: "The Tang Dynasty has lost a pillar, and I have lost an arm. How can I not be sad?"

Chen Qingsi followed Li Zhi, holding incense in his hand and looking at the gold-painted black wooden tablet. He didn't say much, but bowed three times in silence.

When he came before Su Qingjie and his wife, Chen Qingsi bowed and expressed his condolences.

But the couple took a step back together, not daring to accept the gift, and then performed the gift together.

With Li Zhi around, Chen Qingsi didn't want to stay any longer, so he returned to the palace with Li Zhi.

"Today is a day off, so please accompany me to the Wude Hall for a walk!"

Chen Qingsi will obey your orders.

The emperor and his minister walked into the Wude Hall and went straight to the backyard.

The backyard of the Wude Hall is a huge military training ground, which is large enough to accommodate military training for thousands of people.

The military academy has been abandoned for a long time, but traces of its past can still be vaguely seen.

Chen Qingsi had been to the Wude Hall several times, but all of them were in the front hall. This was his first time to be in the training ground in the back hall. Looking at the traces of the past, he couldn't help but feel fascinated.

There are many stories about Wude Hall...

It was originally Li Yuanji's bedroom, connected to Li Shimin's Chengqian Hall next door and the East Palace not far away. The story of the three brothers is so complicated.

However, what is really worth mentioning is that after the Weishui Alliance, Li Shimin regarded it as a great humiliation, and personally trained the elite generals in the Wude Hall to cultivate the martial spirit of the Tang Dynasty. Thus, four years later, the previous humiliation was avenged.

This military academy still bears some traces of its past.

Li Zhi sighed deeply, "Lord Su has left me, Lord Li Ying is also old, and the only person I can rely on now is you."

Chen Qingsi first said, "Your Majesty, please accept my condolences." Then he began to express his loyalty, "I was born in a humble family. I am where I am today because of Your Majesty's extraordinary support. Your kindness is beyond words. If I could die in battle for the court like Su Xinggong, I would have no regrets."

Chen Qingsi knew that Li Zhi had many problems, but being able to promote him step by step from the grassroots to where he is now was already a great favor.

Facing an emperor like Li Zhi, Chen Qingsi would not be able to open his heart to him, nor would he be as naive as Rulai Ji, eager to write a good story of monarch and minister with him that would be passed down through the ages. But as long as Li Zhi did not let him, Chen Qingsi, down, he, Chen Qingsi, would not let Li Zhi down.

Li Zhi smiled and said, "That's not necessary. I still need you to protect my Tang Dynasty for me."

No matter how sincere Li Zhi was, Chen Qingsi didn't believe it.

But in fact, Li Zhi's words really came from the bottom of his heart, but his thoughts were different from Chen Qingsi's.

Li Zhi was not a bloodthirsty emperor. Apart from Zhangsun Wuji and Chu Suiliang who deserved to be put to death, there was no one else who deserved to be put to death. As for Shangguan Yi, he deserved his own death.

According to his plan, once the matter with the Kingdom of Daqin was settled, he would find an opportunity to release Chen Qingsi.

When himself or the future emperor of the Tang Dynasty is in danger, he will activate it.

In short, when there is something to do, Zhong Wuyan is there, and when there is nothing to do, Xia Yingchun is there.

A person like Chen Qingsi is most suitable to be the pillar of support.

"Lord Su has passed away. Do you have any ideas about the layout of Longyou?"

Chen Qingsi said: "I heard that Lord Su Xing has already found a successor. I believe in Lord Su Xing's vision."

"Cheng Wuting, the son of Cheng Mingzhen, is indeed famous for his bravery, but I heard that there is another man in Shanzhou named Wang Xiaojie who is also not bad and is deeply loved by Lord Su Xing."

(End of this chapter)